Gotham Knights is on Game Pass and who knows, it might surprise you

Warner Bros Montreal's one-four-all superhero spin-off Gotham Knights hits Game Pass today. In his RPS review, Ed Thorn described it as "an action-RPG that wraps what could've been a wonderfully realised Gotham universe in a tired, slapdash mix of meaningless numbers and loot." I reviewed it myself as a freelancer and can't disagree with his verdict. Game ain't great. But I find myself itching to download and revisit this muddled open world contender all the same. In key respects, Gotham Knight isn't so much a bad game as an OK game that had the misfortune to be left standing when the music stopped, the music in question being that classic mid-tensies number "Phat Loot and Gear Tiers", from folk rock outfit Bungie. Which is to say, it feels like it was bolted-together by committee circa 2016-2017, using pieces popularised by the original Destiny and Ubisoft's The Division - open world RPG looting and progression conventions that had long since become a laughing stock when Gotham Knights actually launched in 2022. Bad timing aside, Gotham Knights also has classic "resentful younger sibling" syndrome. It tries to stand apart from Rocksteady's Arkham games - still probably the best superhero adaptations on offer - while also riding their Kevlar coat-tails, and in the process, becomes a weird mix of unconvincing cash-in and act of rebellion. Read more